Jones seeks big break in UCLA backfield

RUNNING WILD—Malcolm Jones of Oaks Christian is primed for a breakout junior season this fall for the UCLA Bruins football team.
Photos courtesy of UCLA Athletics Malcolm Jones had a highly decorated football career at Oaks Christian High, earning three CIF championships and numerous awards.

The former five-star recruit has been out of the spotlight the last two years, fighting for running back at UCLA.

Not too long ago, Jones was fighting off reporters.

“Being a top recruit was frustrating at times because reporters would always call me trying to find out information about me,” said Jones, the first Gatorade high school football player of the year to join the Bruins.

“It got to the point where they were pretty much following me.”

These days, the incoming junior can walk around Westwood without being harassed.

He doesn’t miss being the center of attention, but Jones wants to prove he can be an elite running back for the Bruins.

With former UCLA back Derrick Coleman moving on to the NFL, Jones is expected to have a bigger role in the backfield.

He will still have to compete for playing time with Johnathan Franklin, who led the Bruins with 976 rushing yards in 2011.

“(The past two years) my coaches told me it’s hard playing three running backs at one time with our offense,” said Jones, who had 25 carries for 103 yards and one touchdown last fall. “I had to wait my turn.

“It was frustrating at times, but I was only a sophomore.”

Under former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel’s “pistol” offense, which is designed for the quarterback to be a running threat in a shotgun formation, Jones didn’t get the opportunity to flourish.

Jones said incoming head coach Jim Mora will give him a chance to play.

The 2010 OCHS graduate already notices a difference with the current coaching staff.

“The tempo at practice is different,” said the 6-foot, 220-pound Jones. “With Neuheisel, tempo wasn’t as fast. Coach Mora really picked up the tempo. He always has us running around somewhere.”